Choices
by Skylark Starflower
Summary: Gallows makes a choice. Somewhat bizarre even for me, in my honest opinion.


Authors note/disclaimer: I don't own Wild ARMs 3, it belongs to Media Vision/Sony.  
  
Well, let's just say that listening to Vash's spiel during the episode previews on Trigun can inspire some really interesting stuff. ^_^ And yes, I'm still working on my other stories.  
  
"Choices"  
  
Started November 16th, 2003  
  
Finished November 17th, 2003  
  
By Skylark Starflower  
  
-Diary entry for July 18th  
  
I don't know why he did it. I doubt I ever will. It's not that I didn't like him, but I won't hesitate to admit that he wasn't the smartest member of the team. And sometimes he could be downright annoying. But he was still my friend.  
  
...maybe that's why he did it...  
  
* * *  
  
The four stood around the statue, one to each side. The stone griffin's ruby red eyes glittered fiercely in the darkness. It sat proudly on its haunches, wings half folded. It almost appeared to be alive in the flickering torchlight.   
  
On the statue's forehead was a small keyhole. Virginia dug through her item pouch until she produced a key. Holding it up, she examined it, twisting it back and forth. Lowering it again, she turned her gaze to her teammates.  
  
"Bucovich said this would only work for one of us..." She sighed. "I really don't think we should do this. It's too dangerous."  
  
Clive adjusted his glasses. "You are right, of course, but you cannot deny the fact that we need this item to combat this new threat."  
  
Jet crossed his arms. "So, what are we going to do, then?"  
  
"I can't force any of you to do this; it wouldn't be right," said Virginia, "...I'll go."  
  
Before the others could say anything, she placed the key in the keyhole. But before she could turn it, a hand shot out and grasped hers. It belonged to Gallows. She looked up to his face as he shook his head.  
  
"You can't go, Virginia. You know this is gonna be dangerous and we can't afford to lose you, leader. I'm going." With that, he pushed her back and grabbed the key.  
  
"Gallows! No!" But it was too late. As his teammates ran to stop him, Gallows turned the key. There was a click, and for a second, nothing happened.  
  
The room was lit by a sudden, bright flash of light. Some unseen force knocked the others back and away from the young Baskar. The statue's eyes were glittering madly. Later, Virginia would admit that she wasn't sure if she had really seen the griffin stand up and open it's beak as though it were crying out. There was another blinding flash, and all fell into darkness once again.  
  
"Gallows?" Virginia received no response. "Clive? Jet?" She re lit the torch with her tindercrest as the other two men walked over to join her, Clive rubbing a bump on his head tenderly. The three silently turned to the statue.  
  
I did not appear to have moved, ruby eyes flickering coldly. The key, however, was gone; the magic had been used up. Gallows was nowhere to be seen.  
  
"Damned idiot," spat Jet. Clive remained silent as Virginia fixed a dark look on the surly, silver haired boy. "What?! He is!"  
  
"No. Actually, he was quite right," interrupted Clive, "we may have gotten off to a rocky start at first, but it was Virginia who truly held this team together." He turned to Virginia. "We would never have gotten this far without you, leader."  
  
He paused to adjust his glasses again, a particularly annoying habit he'd picked up several years ago. "Gallows made his own choice. There is nothing we can do now but sit back and wait to see what happens."  
  
Clive had barely finished speaking when he and the others were thrown back by a powerful shock wave. The torch was extinguished again, the room engulfed once more by darkness. But all was not silent this time.  
  
Virginia hastened to light the torch again as she listened to the laboured breathing. Holding it up, she illuminated Gallows' twisted form lying on the floor. "Oh, no..."  
  
She and the others hurried to his side, Clive digging through his inventory for the first aid kit. Handing some bandages to Jet, they started to treat the young Baskar's wounds. He was bleeding badly, a pool of blood already starting to form around him. His hands were clenched tightly at his sides.  
  
But what surprised Virginia the most was the fact that he was smiling. His face was bruised, one eye swollen shut and various cuts and scrapes decorated the rest. But still, a smile played across his lips. He said nothing, moving a fist over Virginia. She held out a hand as he opened his, and something dropped into Virginia's palm.   
  
She started to cry, a bitter smile on her face, as she realized what was happening. "You...really are an idiot..."  
  
Gallows chuckled brokenly as she studied the object in her hand. It felt cool and, even though it wasn't wet at all, slightly slimy. It looked like a sliver of solid mercury.  
  
"How did you get this? We were told it would be hidden at the bottom of a deep labyrinth... you've only been gone for a matter of moments..."  
  
Clive answered for Gallows. "It is possible that since this zone the key unlocked, while existing on another plane separate from this one, may also exist in a separate plane of time. What seemed like mere moments to us could have been hours for Gallows." He'd stopped trying to bandage Gallows' wounds. He could see now that there was no point, having realized the same thing Virginia had.  
  
"But...why did it have to by you, you big dummy?" sniffed Virginia. Jet said nothing, finally seeing what the others had already discovered.  
  
Gallows motioned for Virginia to come closer, so she leaned down until her face was level with his. He whispered something in her ear before falling silent.  
  
For a moment, all Virginia could do was sit and stare. She reached out a trembling hand and touched his shoulder.  
  
"Gallows...?"  
  
* * *  
  
Clive says that it's the choices one makes that lead us through life and define who we are and what we become. Yesterday, Gallows chose to die. I'm sure he knew all along that death was all that awaited for him, wherever that key took him. Was he being brave? Or just dumb?  
  
If someone else had gone, would things have turned out the same? Was his death pointless and stupid? We'll never know for sure, but I know it's pointless to think about all the 'what if's' in life. History can't be changed. You have to deal with it and move on.  
  
But...I never knew he felt that way. That just makes his choice all the more harder for me to live with.  
  
...I can't write anymore. It's too hard to see though my tears.  
  
-Virginia Maxwell  
  
The end. 


End file.
